What is hicad?

HiCAD is an AI-powered web application for generating 3D models using plain-language descriptions. Instead of learning complex CAD, which stands for computer-aided design, software, you type a natural language description of what you want, for example a robot arm with six joints, and the AI generates the code for a 3D model automatically. The model appears in a live 3D viewer in your browser within seconds, where you can rotate it 360 degrees and inspect it from any angle. The tool uses a scripted 3D modeling approach rather than mesh sculpting, which means the resulting models are mathematically precise and suitable for 3D printing. You can export models in STL or OBJ formats, which are standard file types accepted by 3D printer slicer software. The application includes a code editor, the same editor that powers VS Code, so you can see and manually tweak the generated code. There is also a parameter control panel with sliders for adjusting dimensions in real time without editing code. A community template marketplace lets users browse, use, and publish shared model templates. Models can be shared through a link, and others can preview them without signing in. The system supports connecting to multiple AI providers by changing a single setting, with options including DeepSeek, OpenAI, and Qwen, so you supply your own API key for whichever service you use. The frontend and backend are separate codebases that run together with a single startup command. The project is open source under the GPL v3 license, which requires any derivative works to also be released as open source.